‘It was tough’… Nuno delivers his honest verdict on Joe Gardner’s debut for Nottingham Forest last night

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Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has raved about Joe Gardner after last night’s win over Bristol City.

The Portuguese boss delivered his thoughts on the 18-year-old to Nottinghamshire Live after the penalty shootout win.

So, what has Espirito Santo said about Forest gem Gardner? Let’s take a closer look…

What Nuno Espirito Santo has said about Forest star Joe Gardner

Well, it was a really proud moment for Gardner who can now add his name to the list of academy graduates to play for the Forest senior team.

The player came on at right-back for the extra 30 minutes after Forest drew 1-1 with Bristol City and eventually edged through on penalties.

Gardner actually claimed after the game that he would have taken a penalty for Forest had he been called upon during the shootout!

Espirito Santo believes that he will now look to help him out as much as he can moving forward – and was impressed with his performance last night.

The boss told Nottinghamshire Live: “He was so happy! Now he is going to realise what happened to him because it was tough when we put him on the pitch. He is a young boy who is working with us.

“He did well. He showed spirit, character and energy.

“I’m very happy for him. I hope he has a fantastic career. I will try to help him as much as I can.”

Gardner will take confidence from first senior outing

Montiel’s injury prognosis will likely determine just how much football Gardner gets to play for Forest this season.

With Neco Williams at the club and Ola Aina returning from the African Cup of Nations, competition is rife at right-back.

However, the player will take heart from this showing and he certainly didn’t disappoint when he replaced a World Cup winner last night.

At 18-years-old the future looks bright and Espirito Santo appears keen to make sure that the pathway to the first team stays clear for academy stars at Forest.